A Love That Lasts
by thelittleturtleduck
Summary: Their love was beautiful, something that no one could deny. [Kataang Week Prompts]
1. Chapter 1

**A/n:** It's Kataang Week time! Please read and review! God bless!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender."

* * *

**Kataang Week Day One - Hands**

"I'm sorry, Master Katara."

The apology was said with much sympathy, but the waterbender showed no acknowledgement of it. The only thing Katara was aware of was Aang's strong hand firmly squeezing her own before he quietly dismissed the healer.

Her ears were ringing, the woman's words from earlier still registering within her mind. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, but at that moment she could do nothing to slow it. This news had just about broken her. Something she would have never thought possible to do.

Words were just words, how could they hurt anyone to the point of physical pain?

Her aching stomach and pounding head proved that words most definitely could cause some harm.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to conceive again, Master Katara."

Those words had caused the rational side of herself to burrow back in the furthest corner of her mind, while the emotional part of her was still trying to cope with this new information. She doubted it even had the ability to cope with it. Everything had happened so fast.

They had never had trouble getting pregnant before, their children all being planned and wonderfully anticipated. Her first pregnancy was rough, as was expected, but she couldn't remember having any issues during her two other ones. Even this fourth pregnancy had been going so smoothly, with barely any morning sickness or back pains like before.

Perhaps that's what should have alarmed her though. Things were too perfect, and when they became that way, something just had to come and mess it all up. There was only one thing in her life that she could recall not ending up that way and that was the person sitting beside her on the bed, holding her fingers tightly within his own.

It was Aang who had first noticed that something was wrong. He had arrived home late from the council that night, his wife and children already tucked away in their beds and snoozing peacefully. After quietly checking on each of his kids, the man made his way down the hall to the master suite where Katara was already sleeping.

He entered the room, went through his basic night routine, and gently pulled back the covers on his side of the bed so he wouldn't disturb the mattress' other occupant. That's when he noticed it. There was a red liquid staining their usually pristine white sheets.

Alerted, he woke his wife up.

Katara, being a healer, was relatively familiar with miscarriages so she realized what was happening right away. But never had she thought that she would be going through it.

Aang had left to get the healer from the city after some quiet prompting from Katara, and the woman herself had gone into the master bath in order to clean herself off. Though her hands and legs shook, she refused to cry. She couldn't cry. That would make everything that had just happened,  
much more real.

She had been laying in the freshly changed bed Aang had prepared before he left for the city, when the Avatar re-entered the room with a young healer following closely behind him.

The woman hadn't said anything Katara didn't already know. She told her that many woman were faced with this challenge in life and that there is next to nothing anyone can do in order to prevent it. It's just natural.

But she hadn't expected the woman's outlook on her chances of conceiving once again to be so pessimistic. Though, perhaps she should have. From her early years of working in the clinic within Republic City, she had seen many women in the same condition as her. She knew that some of them had a very difficult time getting pregnant again, suffering miscarriages sometimes until they just decided to stop trying all together.

Her cerulean eyes were becoming misty, something that Aang most definitely took notice of.

"We can try again, Katara. What she said isn't necessarily true."

But it could be, and that's what scared her.

Shaking her head, refusing to speak, the waterbender simply turned her face to the side and nuzzled it into her husband's neck. He laid his cheek against the dark, silky tresses of her hair, tilting his head slightly so that he could kiss the woman on the forehead. She could hear him murmuring sweet words of love to her, but she couldn't bring herself to respond. The waterbending was still in shock.

They sat in silence for awhile, both trying desperately to process what had happened that morning. She was only about a month and a half along, they shouldn't have allowed themselves to get so excited over something that was so shaky in early development. They weren't that old, Aang being only 35 and Katara being 37 so they hadn't seen any reason to worry. There really was no explanation to why this had happened to them.

The sun was beginning to rise, the light casting shadows across their room. Air Temple Island was slowly beginning to buzz with life, proving to the two that time wasn't simply going to stop just because of some tragedy that had struck their lives. It would continue to go on and so would they.

"I need to get the kids up and ready," Aang murmured to Katara, placing another kiss on her forehead and readying himself to rise. The man hadn't slept the night before, making his movements relatively sluggish, but he still retained that grace he always had. The grip on his hand though didn't loosen, even as he took a step towards the door.

Looking down at his wife sitting on the bed, Aang could feel his heart breaking.

He had figured she would want some time alone to process everything and to relax after what had just happened, but the look that she was giving him said otherwise.

She needed him.

Sitting back down on the bed, Aang took her into his arms. His hands gripped at the silk of her blue night gown, pulling her closer to his chest as she grabbed desperately on to his robes. She needed this support. She couldn't face this alone.

"I don't wanna try again," She whispered finally, the words muffled by the fabric of his vibrant, red robe, "I can't risk losing another, Aang."

The Avatar didn't say a word, he only held her tighter within the circle of his arms.

"It's just hard to imagine, not ever being pregnant again," The tears were slowly beginning to fall now, the woman finally allowing her emotions to flow, "It's hard to think that you and I won't ever sit here again and count another ten little fingers and toes."

Aang could feel his own emotions catching up with him, having been strong that entire morning. Warm tears fell down the length of his pale cheek, on to his wife's tanned arm. This only prompted her to cry more.

She hadn't just failed herself or the baby, but him as well.

"I just need you right now, Aang," The woman expressed, slightly ashamed of how weak the statement had sounded, but not really caring.

Aang gently pried her fingers from the fabric of his robes, holding tightly to her hand with his own tattooed one. Their joined hands squeezed each others'  
in a sign of support as Katara looked up at her husband with teary eyes.

She was met by Aang's stormy gaze, the tears still sliding down his face, but a gentle expression on his features. His whispered words were enough to keep her heart from breaking completely.

"I'm here."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: **Daddy Aang is adorable! Read and review, please! God bless!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

* * *

**Day 2 - Sleepy**

"Daddy!"

Despite the exhaustion the Avatar felt, he could not hide the smile that appeared on his features as he held his arms out to receive his three-year-old daughter. The young girl with wild, dark curls ran immediately to her father, burrowing her face in his chest as her limbs clung on to him.

Grinning, Katara entered the room from the kitchen where she had been preparing lunch. She knew Aang would be exhausted after the council meeting he had to attend that morning, so she had given Kya her own lunch early before announcing that she would need to take a nap. Knowing that Aang could not deny the small waterbender anything, she had figured with Kya asleep, maybe the man could get some rest. But it seemed like their young daughter had already trapped the man in her wide, cerulean gaze.

"Hi, Sweetie."

Aang looked up as his wife came to his side and placed a delicate kiss upon his cheek, her lips lingering there for a moment as her blue gaze took in the dark circles that underlined his gray orbs. She had known Aang had been dreading the meeting this morning, a few new laws being put into place that he didn't necessarily agree with, but she hadn't realized how much sleep he had been losing over it. She could feel him toss and turn in the night, but had thought nothing of it since he usually did so anyway. It seemed his stress was a little more serious than she thought.

Whether he was exhausted or not though, Katara could always see the light return to his eyes the minute he walked through their front door and saw them. There really was no place like Air Temple Island to him. This time was no exception.

Aang smiled widely at his wife, shifting Kya to a more comfortable position on his hip as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, resting her head on her father's shoulder.

"Hello, Katara."

Husband and wife shared a smile as the master waterbender wrapped her slender arms around the man's waist and around her daughter as well.

"How did the meeting go?"

The Avatar shrugged, kissing the woman lightly on the forehead before releasing a sigh, "Just as I expected it would. There was some fighting, some disagreeing, and some major setbacks. But we were able to settle it. I don't have to return this afternoon."

Katara smiled at this, relief flooding her body, "Good, now maybe you can get some rest."

Kya groaned, knowing that her father resting meant that he wouldn't be able to play with her. With Aang in the city so much, the young girl had really began to miss her dotting dad. Even though she enjoyed playing with her mother, she couldn't deny that her father's presence was much more calming and playful while her mother's was more paternal and strict.

"Kya, your father needs his rest. You will have plenty of time to play with him later," Katara's words were stern, causing Kya's frown to only deepen as her arms tightened their hold around her Aang's neck.

"Hey," The Avatar murmured to the young waterbender, his gaze full of love despite the sleepiness he could feel coming on, "I promise I will play with you. We can throw a tea party or play with your dolls. Whichever you want to do."

His answer coaxed a grin out of the girl, causing her whole face to light up.

"A tea party?!" She asked excitedly, delighted that her father would attend something that her mother was usually the only participant in.

The young man grinned at his child's excitement, laughing quietly before nodding his head, "Yes, we can have a tea party."

"But," Katara interrupted before Aang could make any further promises, "First, you need to go take your afternoon nap. Then, after that, you can throw your party."

Again, Kya pouted at the idea of having to sleep before she could have her fun, but a yawn soon broke free from her lips prompting her that maybe a nap wasn't such a bad idea. Both of her parents chuckled at the adorable expression that made its way on to her face as she tried her best to play off her exhaustion.

"Come on, I'll put you to bed."

Katara had hoped Aang would hand Kya to her and continue on to go take a nap himself, but she also had to take into consideration that the man rarely got to put the girl down for her naps and that was something he genuinely wanted to do. He tucked her in every night and told her all sorts of stories from the times when he lived at The Southern Air Temple, venturing also into the tales of their journey together. Kya's absolute favorite story, that Aang had to retell nearly every night, was also her favorite as well.

The Cave of Two Lovers.

The woman couldn't count on one hand how many times she had walked into her daughter's room and had heard her humming the tune that went along with the tale. For some reason, that story had always left the biggest impression on her.

Katara lifted the ocean colored skirts of her robes and returned to the kitchen, her bouncy, dark curls trailing behind her. Returning to her place over the stove, she stirred the pot rhythmically. Right when she was removing the object from over the heat, she heard a familiar tune making its way down the hall.

Curious, she left her post and walked directly to the source of it. The song was coming from her daughter's room.

Peaking around the corner, Katara spotted Aang laying on top of the covers of Kya's bed, the small girl tucked into his side as her eyes drooped in exhaustion. The curtains were pulled, so the room was dark, but Katara could see the adoring smile on Aang's lips, his mouth forming the words as they flowed through the space like a calming river.

She had walked in many a time while her daughter was singing the "Secret Tunnel" song, but never had she heard her husband sing it. She assumed that he would have had to many times considering their daughter knew it so well, but still it was so strange for her to hear his voice singing the song they had heard so long ago.

The woman stood there, listening as her husband ended the song. A little girl's snores could be heard coming from the room and Katara could feel herself beginning to smile as well.

Aang carefully picked himself up off the bed, his own eyes tired but loving as he leaned down and kissed his daughter's tanned forehead. She squirmed a bit, but didn't wake up from the slumber she had fell into.

When Aang finally exited the room, Katara stopped him from turning in the direction of the kitchen and dining room. Instead, the woman led her husband towards the master suite at the end of the hall.

"Katara, you already cooked lunch. I'll sleep after."

The waterbender shook her head, giving him a stern look, "No, you are going to take a nap now. You're exhausted, and I know you haven't been sleeping a lot lately. The food can wait."

Aang groaned, but allowed Katara to drag him into their bedroom regardless. He was tired, that he could not deny.

After removing his robes and leaving himself only in his pants, the Avatar crawled under the silky red fabric of their covers, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as the cool of the sheets surrounded his body. Katara drew the curtains closed, blocking the sunlight coming in and bathing the room in a false darkness.

Katara crawled in bed next to him, allowing his body to curl around her own. She rested her cheek against the top of his bald head, her fingers tracing the arrows that lay on the skin of his hands as they wrapped around her waist.

"So, do you need me to sing you to sleep?" Katara murmured, teasing evident in her tone, "Or are you good to go?"

Aang chuckled at his wife's words, his face burrowing its way into her neck, nuzzling the skin there.

"You know, I've never heard you sing before."

She could feel Aang smile against her skin, "It's because I'm no good."

"Kya and I would beg to differ."

"Yeah?" She could imagine his silver eyes rolling, "Well, I believe the two of you are biased."

"Oh, whatever."

Aang laughed once again, pulling his wife closer to him. They sat in silence for awhile, Katara's hand trailing up the man's pale arm as she waited for him to venture into dream land. She thought he was about to fall asleep, when she heard quiet murmur come from him.

"Singing would be nice."

Katara smiled, her lips dusting across the top of the young man's head, "Ah, so now you have changed your mind?"

"I never answered before, there was nothing to change," She could feel his soft chuckle against the skin of her neck, "Besides, I love your voice."

The woman rolled her eyes, "Well, you may be the one who is biased."

"Or you just are that wonderful."

Katara's cheeks heated at the geniune adoration behind his words, despite the sleepy state he was in.

"We really are getting more and more cheesy as time goes on."

Aang sighed, placing a kiss on her neck, "I don't care."

Smiling, Katara took a deep breath before beginning, "Two lovers, forbidden from one another - "

She could already feel Aang grinning against her skin, so she continued.

"A war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart. Built a path to be together," Her soft voice drifted through the room, her words lulling the Avatar further into his own exhaustion.

She laughed quietly when she got to the next lines lamenting, "And I actually don't remember the next part - "

She didn't need to. The sleepy Avatar was already asleep on her shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n:** Thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming! God bless!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

* * *

It was night when Katara discovered that the most beautiful harmonies in the world, didn't come from music itself, but people instead.

Aang stood in front of her, his autumn colored robes wrapped snuggly around his body, accentuating his muscular build and brightening his pale features in the candlelight. His warm, silver gaze was locked on her's of cerulean, eyes hopeful as he held his tattooed hand out for her to take.

The kids were already tucked into their beds, the demands of the children tiring both of the parents out after a long day. After countless bedtime stories and checks for evil spirits beneath their beds, Aang and Katara were finally able to extinguish the lights of their children's rooms and leave them to fall into a peaceful sleep.

Katara had gone back into the living room to clean up some of the kid's toys when Aang had appeared in front of her. Usually after putting the children to bed, the Avatar would retire to his study to go over some paper work and letters resulting in him staying up for half the night before joining her in bed much later.

But it looked like tonight was going to be different.

Katara raised a brow at the man's outstretched hand, her expression skeptical.

"What, Aang?"

The man smiled at the dubious tone of her voice, his eyes crinkling slightly as he released a low chuckle.

"I'm asking you to dance."

To this, the master waterbender scoffed. The two of them were both exhausted and he wanted to dance? There wasn't even any music.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline, Avatar."

The man's face fell at her answer, but soon his smile was back.

"Please?"

His tone was pleading, almost desperate. Katara grew even more suspicious at his insistence of a dance, pausing in her action of picking up a doll that lay haphazardly on the floor.

"Did you do something that I'm going to be mad about?"

It was Aang's turn to be confused, "No? I was just asking if you wanted to dance."

A crease formed between Katara's brow, guilt setting in after she realized how accusing her tone must have sounded to him. Setting the doll down on a table laying beside their couch, the woman turned her back to him.

"There isn't any music."

A pair of warm arms came up and wrapped around her waist, the woolen material of his robes in stark contrast with the silken sash that lay there. She stiffened for a moment before relaxing against him, allowing the man to pull her tightly to his chest and rest his bearded chin on her shoulder. Tilting his face to the side, he placed a tender kiss on the skin of her neck.

"There doesn't need to be," He whispered in her ear, the smile on his face grazing across her skin as he placed a delicate kiss on her cheek as well.

Turning within the circle of his arms, Katara wrapped her own arms around his middle, gazing up at him expectantly.

"Alright then."

The Avatar's smile widened, his eyes brightening. Leaning down, Aang gave his wife a slow kiss in thanks that left her breathless.

Disentangling himself from Katara's hold, the man took a few steps back into the middle of the living area. He bowed with great flourish as Katara giggled quietly at the sight. Her husband always was a bit of a goof.

When he stood up straight once again, he offered her his hand. This time she took it. Her own tanned fingers joined with his pale ones and suddenly she was being pulled back into his arms.

They adjusted into their usual dancing positions. Aang's arm tightly held on to her waist as she placed one hand delicately upon his shoulder. Their other hands were clasped together, fingers interlaced and palms pressed firmly to the other.

At first, they were quiet. Katara laid her head on Aang's chest, hearing his familiar heartbeat thump seemingly to an imaginary beat. The man's chin was resting on top of her dark brown curls, his lips every once and awhile kissing the strands that lay there.

"So what brought this on?"

Katara really was curious as to why all of a sudden Aang had asked her to dance. It wasn't unusual for them to spend time together at night, but usually that time was spent over a romantic dinner or cuddling in bed. This was just so different and random. But it was so Aang.

"I just feel bad that I have been spending so much time at the council lately," The Avatar answered after a moment, spinning her fluidly before drawing her back to his chest, "I just wanted us to do something special."

"And that was for us to dance?"

Aang chuckled, "Well, yes. It's something we don't get to do often. The only time I get to dance with you is when we are in public and that's when it's considered improper for me to hold you so close."

"Like that's ever stopped you," Katara teased, rolling her eyes at her husband's statement. Aang laughed once again.

"You're right," He conceded, the smile never leaving his face, "I just wanted to spend some time with my beautiful wife is all. I thought this would be romantic."

Katara grinned at the man's response, laying her head back on his chest and resting her ear above where his heart was. The thumping continued on, but there was something different about it this time.

It was the fact that Katara could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears due to the blush rising in her cheeks.

Their heartbeats were in near perfect time.

The waterbender had noticed it before on occasion, like when they laid in bed and she curled up to his chest. She knew that they were connected on several various levels, one including spiritually, but this was completely different. This was something that physically connected them in a way that neither could plan or force.

They were two wonderful heartbeats, that created a lovely harmony. That's why they needed no music to dance. Because no song could capture the dynamic and bond that they had.

"It is romantic," Katara murmured, closing her eyes and listening to the wonderful melody that continued on.

Many years in the future, Katara stood in the middle of her cold room.

There was no warmth in the South Pole. There was no warmth anywhere. Ever since he had died, she couldn't shake the cold that seemed to follow her around everywhere.

It was like a shadow.

The woman looked very different now. She was shorter than she had been at one time, stooped over due to the emotional load she had to carry for so many years. Her dark hair was now a snowy white, one that matched the frigid terrain near perfectly.

Tears fell from her light eyes, ghosting over the wrinkled skin of her cheeks. She tried desperately to wipe them away, the momentary lapse of vulnerability causing her to scoff quietly under her breath, but she couldn't chase them off.

She had heard it.

Korra had passed her firebending test and was now probably half way to Republic City, the young girl determined to find her own path as the Avatar.  
Katara had caught her in the middle of her escape, somehow knowing in her heart that the waterbender would do just that. But Katara just wanted a goodbye.

She got a little more than she bargained for.

When Korra hugged her, just as she had many times, the woman heard it. The noise was faint, but it was still there.

She heard Korra's heartbeat and within that heartbeat, she heard her own.

Aang had once made a comment about friendships transcending lifetimes, and she usually never thought much about it. But now it made sense.

Though Korra was a very different person from Aang, the connection and bond was still there.

That thought alone was enough to break Katara for just a moment, her gloved hands coming up to cover her face and muffle the sobs that broke free from her lips.

There was nothing more that she wanted in that moment than to have him there with her, to have those beautiful stormy eyes looking into her own, to be able to dance with him once again.

But even though the dance was over, it didn't mean the song couldn't go on.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n:** I hope you guy's enjoy this one! Please continue to review! God bless!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

* * *

**Day Four - Smirk**

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Aang."

The man chuckled at his wife's words, raising his brows in mock innocence.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Katara rarely visited Aang at work, only doing so when she was either annoyed with him or just couldn't wait for him to get back home. That's why when she walked into the council meeting he was attending, effectively shutting up the Fire Nation Representative who had been speaking, he really didn't know how to feel. He took in her worried expression though and that was enough to make him anxious.

Turns out, after he had left his home on Air Temple Island that morning, his two-year-old daughter had fallen ill. Kya had been whining about her stomach the night before, both parents just assuming that she was being fussy because she had skipped her nap earlier in the day. She had woken up multiple times in the night and had eventually crawled into their bed, crying about how she didn't feel well.

Aang had been hesitant to leave that morning, but Katara had insisted that Kya was going to be fine and that he had nothing to worry about. Still apprehensive, the airbender had donned his autumn colored robes and given his wife a goodbye kiss. But after the Avatar had left, Kya woke from her slumber and ran directly to the bathroom, throwing up the entirety of her dinner from the night before.

Katara thought she could handle a sick child, being a healer herself, but as it turned out things weren't that easy. After she had finished in the bathroom, the girl had began to wail and it seemed like absolutely nothing would quiet her. The woman felt of the tiny child's forehead and groaned when she realized that Kya had quite a fever. Gathering up a bag full of blankets and an extra pair of clothes for her daughter, Katara had boarded the ferry and made her way to Republic City. Kya wasn't even changed out of her nightgown and Katara had barely had time to change into one of her cerulean, silk robes. She was a woman on a mission.

She was planning on taking Kya to the doctor, seeing as her healing really couldn't do much for her viral sickness, but they had to make a detour. The entire time they were traveling, Kya kept crying about how she wanted her Daddy. Add this to the fact that the child was crying so hard she was dry heaving and Katara really couldn't really deny her that wish.

She hated to bust into the council meeting, but the waterbender was desperate.

They stood in the middle of Sokka's office now, the council meeting having been called for a temporary recess. After Katara had explained everything that happened that morning to Aang, he had immediately fled from the chamber and scooped up his daughter in his arms, taking her into the back where they wouldn't be stared at and could have some privacy.

The moment Aang had picked her up, Kya had quieted. Even though she was glad her daughter was now a bit more relaxed, Katara couldn't hold back the frustrated huff that escaped her lips as she took in Aang's smug look.

"Stop looking at me like that."

Aang laughed once again, leaning on the edge of his brother-in-law's desk and shifting Kya to his front so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"I think you're just paranoid."

Rolling her light eyes at her husband's answer, the woman sobered nearly immediately hearing her daughter give a slight cough and quiet moan. The smirk that had rested on Aang's features previously, immediately fell when he heard his child's small voice.

"I don't feel good."

Aang sighed, running a hand over his bald, tattooed head and on to the back of his neck, "I know, sweetie."

Katara walked over to where her husband stood, reaching a tanned hand up to her daughter's forehead and frowning deeply.

"I think her fever's getting worse."

The Avatar fought back the panic rising in his stomach, "Well what are we going to do? Do we need to take her to the clinic?"

Katara patted her daughter's back, "She needs to see someone who can prescribe her some sort of medication. If her fever gets too high, than we are in big trouble."

Aang nodded, standing up straight and shifting Kya to his hip, "Alright then, let's go."

"Whoa," Katara remarked, placing a hand on his chest, "You still have a council meeting to attend. We just had to stop by because she wouldn't calm down until she saw you."

"Katara," Aang's voice was steady, his free hand reaching out to grab her own, "I want to go. You shouldn't have to do this stuff alone. She is our daughter and I can't just push all of this on you."

The waterbender sighed, knowing that her husband wasn't going to back down.

"Fine," The woman conceded, holding out her arms to receive the toddler, "But at least let me carry her. I don't want her throwing up on you."

"I don't care," Aang answered quickly, his head tilting to the side to bestow a soft kiss on his daughter's dark curls, "I just want her to feel better."

Katara sighed again, knowing that once Aang was in this mode, he wasn't going to back down.

"Alright then, let's go."

The Avatar could tell his wife was flustered. He knew that it annoyed her that she couldn't do anything for her child even though she was a healer. Every time he had caught a cold or some sort of sickness that Katara couldn't heal, she always became a bit snappy, resulting in a few unwarranted fights that got neither of them anywhere.

Realizing this, Aang leaned down and gave her a soft peck on the lips, "I know you're frustrated that you had to come to the city to get her help, but you did everything you could. We're going to get her some medicine and she's going to be fine."

Katara pursed her lips, "I know. I just hate not being able to do anything for her." The mother ran her tan fingers through the young girl's curls, frowning when she saw the glassy look in the child's eyes.

At that moment, Sokka entered his office with a frantic expression on his face. Spotting his sister and brother-in-law, the man sighed.

"Is she okay?" He asked worriedly, having overheard Katara's conversation with Aang early regarding Kya's health. The councilman had wanted to make certain that his niece was okay when all the other council members had stopped him and started asking questions about a new law they were discussing enforcing. Finally, he had been able to escape the conversation and retire to his office where Aang and Katara were.

Aang nodded, "She's going to be fine. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to skip the next part of the meeting. Katara and I are going to have to take her to the physician and see if we can get her any medication."

Sokka waved his hand in front of him, "It's no problem, buddy. Just make sure my niece is okay."

The three said their goodbyes, Kya dozing on her father's shoulder while occasionally moaning about stomach pains. When they finally were finally able to exit City Hall, after receiving several words of sympathy from multiple employees, the couple walked out into the sunlight.

Holding her hand within his own, Aang looked down at his wife, "You ready?"

Katara nodded, practically dragging him down the sidewalk to where the clinic was.

Later that night, after Kya was tucked into bed with a cold compress laying on top of her head, the parents were finally able to retire to their room.

"I'm glad they were able to give her something for her stomach," Aang fell on to their bed, the soft mattress caressing his back, "Maybe she will be able to sleep tonight."

Katara gave him a small smile, already changed into her nightgown and standing in front of her vanity. Turning away from the mirror, the woman joined her husband in bed.

"I'm glad, too," She murmured as she curled into his side, nuzzling her head into his neck, "I just feel bad that I couldn't do anything."

Aang rolled his eyes, burying his nose in the waterbender's dark curls, "I'm the Avatar and I couldn't do anything."

"But I'm her mother."

Suddenly it made sense to Aang. She wasn't upset just because she couldn't heal Kya, but because it made her feel as though she wasn't a good parent.

"Katara," Aang whispered, a pale hand coming up to lift her chin so that she could meet his gaze, "Just because Kya was sick and we couldn't do anything about it, doesn't mean we are bad parents."

"It's not just that," The waterbender sighed, scooting closer to him and laying her head on his shoulder, "I couldn't even calm her down. She only stopped crying when she saw you."

"It's a phase, sweetie. She sees you much more than she sees me."

Katara nodded, "I know, it was just frustrating this morning."

Aang lifted her chin up once again, ducking down to give her a slow kiss, "If it makes you feel any better, I think you are a fantastic mother."

"Really?"

The Avatar laughed and gave her another kiss, "Yes, really."

The couple snuggled up close to each other, burrowing beneath their sheets and falling into a much needed sleep.

In the middle of the night, Kya snuck into their room and climbed her way on to their bed. To the sleepy parents' surprise, she cuddled up to Katara this time around and fell asleep in her mother's arms.

From across the bed, Aang could practically see Katara's smirk in the darkness.


End file.
